Cataract in traffic.

BACKGROUND

To obtain a driver's licence to drive a private passenger car, the binocular visual acuity required is 0.5 or better, and the minimum horizontal width of the visual field is 120 degrees . Persons who fulfill these requirements can obtain a driver's licence even if they have an eye disease such as cataract. However, contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in glare can be considerably decreased in eyes with cataract, and this may create a risk factor in traffic.

METHODS

Examinations of the eyes, visual fields, contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity (visual acuity in glare and macular photostress test) were performed for 35 cataract patients aged 60 to 87 years (mean 70.1 years+/-6.1 SD). They had cataract in one or both eyes. In spite of the cataract, the visual acuity was > or =0.5 in 50 of the eyes. Twenty-two control eyes of persons within the same age range were similarly tested.

RESULTS

The results in the contrast sensitivity test were significantly worse in the cataract eyes than in the control eyes. Contrast sensitivity decreased significantly as the visual acuity became worse. In the glare test, none of the control eyes lost any of the lines in the visual acuity chart. In the cataract eyes, the loss of lines with the highest glare varied from 0 to 6 lines (mean 1.4+/-1.5). The recovery time in the macular photostress test was longer, but not significantly, in cataract eyes than in normal eyes. There was no significant correlation between the loss of visual chart lines and visual acuity or between the recovery time in the macular photostress test and visual acuity.

CONCLUSION

It would be advisable for traffic safety if simple tests for contrast and glare sensitivity were added to the requirements for a driver's licence, at least for older drivers. The age and test result limits should be defined.